The Frustration of Sakura Haruno
by DarkFantasy3d
Summary: In the middle of a long, hot, frustrating summer, Sakura and Ino seek ways to slake their thirst. Just a nice, fluffy three-chapter yuri story. No blood, no dark chakra, no ninja apocalypse.


At noon on the hottest day that anyone could remember, Sakura Haruno gratefully stepped across the threshold of Konoha's main gate and staggered to the guard post. With sharp gestures, she commanded her squad to wait in the shade while she checked in. Her meager smile evaporated when she saw Ino Nara's blond head behind the counter.

Sakura leaned against the counter and brushed the filthy mop of pink hair from her face. "Morning, cunt."

Ino continued to fan her face. She cut her eyes over to the clock. It was one minute after twelve. "Afternoon, bitch. Hot enough for you?"

Sakura's eyelids drooped. "No. You better throw another log on the fire." She glanced up at Ino. "Or open those legs of yours. That should do it." She unzipped her sweat-soaked combat vest. "Gonna check me in or what, cunt?"

Ino wrankled her nose and started fanning in Sakura's direction. "Love the new perfume, bitch. What do you call it? Dead skunk? Eau de Toilet?" Her eyes widened. "I know. Let's call it...Bitch in Heat!"

Sakura heard Konohamaru and Moegi laugh. She whirled around. Konohamaru had his arm around Moegi's shoulders and, once again, his hand was resting on Moegi's ample bosom. Sakura's eyes narrowed. She made a cutting motion across her neck.

Konohamaru removed his arm but remained next to his girlfriend, as if waiting for an opportunity to grope her in public again.

The other squad member, Udon, was oblivious to their antics, as he was with everything except Sakura's backside. His gaze rose to meet hers. He elevated his eyebrows, as though asking if the gesture was intended for him.

Sakura turned to face Ino again. "Will you check me in so I can tell the moron triplets to piss off?"

Ino had to go back twenty pages in her mission book. "Six weeks of border patrol?" She entered their arrival time. "Lucky you. I've been stuck in this box for six fucking months." She tilted her head. "Hokage's been asking for you. Wants you to see him immediately. What's up? Was this some kind of secret mission?"

Sakura stared at the counter. "It's not the mission that Naruto wants to talk about." Her gaze rose slightly. "How's Shikamaru and the baby?"

Ino crossed her arms and looked away. "Don't want to talk about it."

Sakura turned back to her squad and waved her hand. Konohamaru and Moegi disappeared in an instant. Udon pushed up his thick spectacles, stared at Sakura for a moment, heaved a long, heavy sigh, and then sped off to join his teammates.

When Ino saw that Sakura was limping to the south, she pointed to the west. "Hey! Bitch! The Hokage's Hall is that way."

Sakura held up her middle finger. "No shit. Cunt."

* * *

Ino's replacement came early, so she snuck off to the Sweet Shop to relax before picking up the baby. She wasn't surprised to find a crowd there, not during a heat wave. What she didn't expect was that the only open seat was next to a bedraggled, pink-haired girl in a combat vest.

Ino plopped her butt in the chair. "Seat taken?"

Sakura glanced beside her. "Is now."

They both stared at the table.

"Six weeks," said Sakura. "Six long weeks of hell."

"Six months," said Ino. "Stuck in a box. Like a coffin with a view."

"Nothing. No enemy ninja. No border crossers. No nothing. Peace stinks."

"Watch them go out. Watch them come in. And there my fat ass sits. In my little box."

"I hate useless missions. Why can't it be like it was before the war? Where things were exciting?"

"Someday. That's what I tell myself. The baby will be old enough and they'll let me go out on real missions again. Like a real shinobi."

Sakura brushed her stringy hair away from her face. "And the heat. Like the fires of hell. Even at night. Especially at night."

Ino mopped her brow. "Too hot. And too dry. Not a drop of rain in weeks. Not even a decent cloud."

"They were on each other the whole time. Konohamaru and Moegi. Like a couple of rabbits."

"I wish Shikamaru would get back soon. I get so..._lonely _with just me and the baby."

"Every stinking night. He tells me he's going into the woods to take a leak and then, fifteen seconds later, she says the same thing. Like I'm supposed to be too stupid to notice."

"He used to bring me flowers and chocolates. Then the baby came. And his missions got longer. At least, they seem longer."

"And loud, too. Moegi moans like a cat in heat. Then she starts with the 'OhGodOhGodOhGod' shit. Then she actually screams, 'I'm coming.' Like he can't figure it out for himself."

"Now he brings back presents for the baby. And don't get me wrong, it's sweet and all that. But he needs to remember that our daughter isn't the only one who needs a little attention."

"And he's no better. Always yelling 'Git sum.' Or 'Take it, bitch.' Or slapping her ass. At least, I hope it was her ass."

"And he's always tired. Last time he came home, I put the baby down and got into a black negligée. Seriously slutty. See through and everything. I saunter into the bedroom and there he is, fast asleep. In his fucking uniform. Lazy-ass bastard."

"And Udon? Can't take his beady little eyes off me. Follows me everywhere, like a lovesick puppy. Takes me all day just to scout out places to go to the bathroom." Sakura lifted the lapel of her vest and sniffed. "Haven't been able to take a bath in a month and a half."

"It's like I'm not there anymore. Just someone to watch the baby. Not as a wife. A lover."

"And I just get so..."

"I'm so incredibly..."

"Frustrated," they said, simultaneously. They glanced at each other for a moment and then stared at the table again.

The waitress came and set two desserts on the table. "The usual," she said. For Ino, it was vanilla pudding; for Sakura, it was ice cream anmitsu.

Both women sneered at the glasses before them. The waitress scowled, since these were the exactly the same desserts they had ordered since they were little girls.

"The usual," said Sakura. "I'm dying of 'the usual.'"

"Yeah," said Ino. "Same old, same old. What do you have that's...different?"

The waitress put her wrinkled hands on her withered hips and stared at them both. Then she smiled, picked up the glasses, gave Sakura's anmitsu to Ino, and then sat Ino's pudding in front of Sakura. "Enjoy."

The two girls were dumbfounded. Then Ino took a bite of the anmitsu and Sakura ate a spoonful of pudding. They both looked at each other, raised their eyebrows, and laughed.

"Funny, ain't it?" said the waitress. "How the solution's always right there, right in front of our faces." Then her body twinged. She rubbed her hands. "Storm's coming. I can feel it in my joints."

After the waitress left, Sakura craned her neck to see through the window. Black clouds were on the horizon, rolling in fast. "Looks like she's right. I'd give it another two or three hours."

Ino took another bite. "You still hide under the bedcovers when you see lightning?"

Sakura clicked her tongue. "No. Not since we were little. Besides, I remember seeing your head pop under those covers many a time."

"That's because I hated the thunder. Too loud. Used to scare me to death. And besides, I wanted to join you."

"Yeah, I remember what you liked to do under those covers. Remember that last time? You were so naughty that my mother banned you from sleeping over."

"Hey, I wasn't the only guilty party. She only came in the room because you were moaning so loud. As you said, like a cat in heat."

Sakura sat back. "Yeah. I remember those days."

Ino stared through the window at the black, angry clouds. "And then came Sasuke."

"Yep. Mister I'm-an-avenger. Mister You're-just-as-bad-as-Naruto. Mister Asshole."

Both girls sighed.

"Speaking of Naruto," Ino said. "He's been asking for you every day. Twice a day, sometimes. Why don't you go see him? Get it over with?"

Sakura groaned. "Because...he needs better taste in women. Seriously. He's the Hokage. The King of Konoha. He needs to marry a real princess. Like Hinata Hyuuga. Not settle for some schlub from a no-name clan."

"Hinata's married and pumping out puppies. Just go and see him already."

"Oh, leave me alone. I'll...get around to it. Sometime. So how's Shikamaru?"

"I'm leaving him."

"You're serious?"

"I don't know! I don't know anything anymore. He's always gone. Why would it be any different than my situation right now?" She covered her face with her hands.

Sakura reached over and held Ino, in the same way that Ino had comforted her years ago when mean boys called her names.

"I'll let you hide out at my grandmother's place," said Ino. "She passed away last year and nobody's there now." Ino lifted her head. "We can hide out together. Just for tonight. My mother will watch the baby. We can make dinner. Relax. Listen to the rain come down. You can take a bath." Ino sniffed. "_Please _take a bath."

"Alright, alright. I'm sold. Where is it?"

Ino fished a key from her pocket and handed it to Sakura. "Half a block down from my parent's flower shop. The place with the orange gables."

"Sure," said Sakura. She stood up and laid several coins on the table. "Thanks. I'll see you there."

In a nearby booth, Sai, the Hokage's assistant, sat with his empty glass of bannana pudding.

The waitress came by and picked up the glass. She smiled at him. "You want something else, hon?"

He sat a stack of coins on his table. "No, thanks. I'm good." He cut his eyes over to Sakura, who was leaving the shop. "I got exactly what I was looking for."


End file.
